Creative Ways to Solicit Bridesmaids

I recently read an article by my good friends over at weddingchicks.com and it totally inspired me for today’s post. The purpose of today’s post is to discuss some creative ways in which you can ask your friends and/or family members to be in your bridal party. I like this topic, because it can be tricky figuring out the best way to approach this task, mainly because (hopefully) you only need to do it once in your lifetime.

One of the most thoughtful ways to do this is via a bridesmaid gift box. The gift boxes themselves can be anything you wish and are only limited by your own imagination. You could use cigar boxes, kraft gable boxes, or regular gift boxes. It’s a nice touch to decorate the box with the colors of your wedding – for example by affixing a ribbon or a fake flower in the appropriate color to the outside of the box.

The boxes should be filled with items designed to capture elements of your chosen wedding theme, mementos of your relationship with that person, a “will you be my bridesmaid” formal invitation, paint chips showing your color scheme, and of course information on the “when, what and how” of being one of your bridesmaids. You could also include items like nail polish or makeup, a custom printed handkerchief, and photos of things that you love (like wedding dresses, bridesmaid dresses, flowers, shoes, etc.).

Alternatively, you could stick with formal bridesmaid cards in lieu of full blown gift boxes. This is a good option if you’re wedding budget is tight, and the same rules apply – make sure the invitations mirror the color scheme and theme of the wedding, and make sure all the pertinent information regarding the logistics is included.

Just keep in mind that whether you give a gift box or a formal invitation packet, these items are secondary to verbally asking each bridesmaid, ideally in person over lunch or coffee. The most personal way to ask is face-to-face, with the gift box being given as a special ‘thank you’ after acceptance. In the case of a bridesmaid card instead of a gift box, the best practice is to ask face-to-face and then send the card in the mail immediately thereafter.

I hope you found these tips useful and informative. Again, I cannot emphasize enough that you really want your request to be highly personal and heartfelt. You want the person you’re asking to feel proud and honored.

If you want to see some actual photos of beautiful gift boxes and bridesmaid cards, check out the weddingchicks.com article by clicking here. Again, no matter what you do, just keep it personal and thoughtful, and you’ll always come out smelling like a rose. Good luck!